Frank Stella Wolfeboro (from the Eccentric Polygons Series) 1974 Signed Color Lithograph Edition of 100

Artist: Frank Stella
Title: Wolfeboro (from the Eccentric Polygons Series)
Medium: Lithograph in Colors on Arches Paper
Sheet Size: 22.25" x 17.25"
Year: 1974
Edition: 45/100
Publisher: Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
Inscription: Signed, dated and numbered on bottom front
Documentation: Gallery Certificate of Authenticity

"Wolfeboro" is part of Frank Stella's Eccentric Polygons Series, a suite of eleven lithographs and screenprints created in 1974. This series marks a significant development in Stella's printmaking, building upon his earlier Irregular Polygon paintings from the mid-1960s. The titles of the works in this series are derived from small towns in New Hampshire's White Mountains, reflecting personal connections to the artist's experiences with his father.

In "Wolfeboro", the composition features a dynamic arrangement of angular forms rendered in vibrant hues, executed with lithographic precision. The interplay of color and form creates a sense of movement and depth, characteristic of Stella's innovative approach to printmaking. The work exemplifies his exploration of geometric abstraction and his commitment to the materiality of the print medium.

This work has been featured in exhibitions at renowned institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Centre Pompidou, and Tate Modern. "Wolfeboro" is referenced in Richard H. Axsom's, "The Prints of Frank Stella: A Catalogue Raisonne" as entry A.98, underscoring its significance in the artist's oeuvre.

"Wolfeboro" is hand-signed, dated, and numbered from an edition of 100, with the artist's inscription "45/100 F. Stella 74" on the lower front. The sheet measures 22.25 × 17.25 inches and is printed on Arches cream wove paper. Purchase includes a gallery certificate of authenticity from Modern Artifact.

About Frank Stella

Frank Stella (b. 1936) is an American painter and sculptor whose work has played a central role in the development of postwar American art. Born in Malden, Massachusetts, Stella studied at Phillips Academy in Andover before attending Princeton University, where he earned a degree in history in 1958. During his time at Princeton, Stella became increasingly interested in painting, influenced by the modernist abstraction of artists such as Jackson Pollock, Barnett Newman, and Jasper Johns. He later studied at the University of Florence, Italy, where he encountered European modernist traditions that would inform his evolving approach to form, color, and structure.

Stella emerged as a leading figure in the minimalist movement in the late 1950s and early 1960s. His early paintings, characterized by black stripes on raw or primed canvases, emphasized the physical flatness of the picture plane and rejected traditional illusionistic techniques. Works such as Die Fahne Hoch! (1959) demonstrated his commitment to a literal, non-representational approach to painting, focusing on pattern, repetition, and the materiality of the canvas. By eliminating narrative and expressive gesture, Stella's early works engaged viewers with their structural precision and formal clarity.

In the late 1960s, Stella expanded his practice to include shaped canvases, exploring irregular geometries and the interaction between painting and architecture. This period marked a shift toward three-dimensionality, culminating in his large-scale reliefs and later metal and fiberglass sculptures. These works incorporated vivid colors, complex patterns, and dynamic spatial compositions, blurring the line between painting and sculpture. Stella's interest in movement, rhythm, and the physical properties of materials continued to evolve throughout his career, resulting in monumental works for both public and private collections.

Stella has exhibited widely in major institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Tate Modern. His contributions to minimalism, post-painterly abstraction, and contemporary sculpture have established him as a central figure in the discourse of late twentieth- and early twenty-first-century art. By challenging the boundaries between media and emphasizing the material and structural qualities of his work, Stella has consistently redefined notions of abstraction, form, and the possibilities of modern painting.